chia

One of my favorite quick and easy breakfast (or lunch) solutions is this awesome yogurt bowl. It’s chock full of protein from the greek yogurt, nuts, seeds, and chia. It has just the right amount of sweetness from the fruit and honey. Plus, it keeps your belly full for several hours.

This is my go-to post workout meal choice. The protein and fat content are great for muscle recovery.

*I cannot stress enough how important full fat dairy products are. However, it’s almost impossible to find full fat AND organic varieties of greek yogurt. Ideally, you can just make your own (but even I don’t make yogurt). I almost always choose full fat over organic when it comes to yogurt. End Rant.*

Our lovely neighbors surprised us with a pint of hand picked strawberries last week. The berries were super juicy and ripe! Several of the berries were too soft to just eat by hand, so I figured it was as good a time as any to test out this raw jam recipe that I’d been curious about for some time. The result: a healthy and tasty strawberry spread that goes great on just about anything! I will definitely be making this on a regular basis over the summer.

Here’s What You’ll Need:

2 cups of fresh strawberries(overly ripe works best)

2 tbs chia seeds

2 tbs water

1 tbs raw honey

In a mixing bowl, mash the strawberries. I used a fork and it worked just fine. You can also use a blender or food processor, but the berries end up too frothy if you aren’t careful.

Once the berries are a jam-like consistency, add the chia seeds, water, and honey. Stir until everything is combined.

Transfer jam to a lidded bowl or jar (Mason jars work best).

Allow 1 hour to “set up” in the fridge. The longer it sits, the better it tastes.

Store for up to 1 week in the refrigerator.

Serve with fresh scones, on toast, on pancakes, over ice cream, in yogurt, as strawberry sauce for strawberry shortcake, or straight out of the jar!

Coming up with fun and healthy snack ideas for a picky toddler has become a true test of my creativity, intelligence, and patience.

In JBird’s ideal world, I would feed her nothing but cheese and products that contained cheese (preferably cheese in cracker form). Umm, no.

On a daily basis, not only am I trying to appease the demands of my impossibly picky toddler, but I am also trying to cram as much nutrients into her little body to make up for all the crackers, cheese, and lollipops that somehow keep showing up in her mouth (Where did you find those crackers?! I have not bought crackers in nearly 2 weeks?!)

Enter: Monster Bites.

Part Cookie. Part Granola Bar. Part Supplement Aisle at the co-op.

All Deliciousness.

I call them Monster Bites because:

a)They are green..like monsters (right?)

b)They are chock full of “monster” nutrients

c) If you were to eat one in a single bite…that would be one monster bite.

Here’s What You’ll Need:

-1 cup nut butter (I used unsalted peanut butter)

-1 cup of raw sunflower seeds

-1 cup of raw oats

-1/2 cup raw honey (I added more like 3/4 cup of honey…because I couldn’t justify leaving 1/4 cup of honey in the jar)

-1/2 cup chia seeds

-1/2 cup hemp protein powder

-1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

-1/2 cup dried cranberries

-1/2 cup dried apricots; chopped

-1/2 cup raw walnuts; chopped

-1 tbs pure maple syrup

-1 tbs vanilla extract

In a large mixing bowl, combine all of your ingredients and stir until everything is well mixed. **It is going to be STICKY…use a strong spoon*.

Form into bite-sized squares (or balls). Place squares in a parchment lined dish. Refrigerate for at least an hour to “set up”.

Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.

These little snack bites are great for kids and grown-ups alike! They are a “clean” snack that will give you a protein boost (and raise blood sugar in the late afternoon…without having a sugar crash).

This recipe comes courtesy of my husband; The Mountain Man. He’s spent the past year planning out the perfect breakfast muffin recipe; and you know what…he totally nailed it with these muffins. They are Dairy-Free, Egg-Free, Oil Free, and just spectacular. He eats one for breakfast…and I eat about 4 (because I have the appetite of a lumberjack).

These muffins are super moist, and packed with lots of great protein to keep you full until lunch time. These are also super easy to make Gluten-Free (just switch the Spelt Flour with Quinoa, Coconut, Almond, or another type of gluten-free flour).

We bake a double batch of these bad boys twice a week…because they’re THAT good.

Preheat the oven to 350° and grease a muffin tin (or line with paper liners). In a large mixing bowl, combine ground oats, flours, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, and hemp protein powder. Stir and set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine the honey, soaked chia seeds, vanilla, and almond milk. Add the “wet ingredients” to the “dry ingredients”; stir until well combined. Fold in the chopped apples, walnuts, and chocolate chips to the batter. Spoon the batter into the muffin tin (don’t be shy with your spoonfuls, the muffins won’t rise much).

Bake for 25 minutes; or until they pass the age old toothpick test. Let cool on a wire rack. Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.